re: SBNation Predicts Top 100 NBA Players in 2017Posted by corndeaux on 8/19/13 at 4:41 pm to quail man

It's crazy that Wiggins could be top 10 so soon, but if people are convinced he's the next Bron/Durant then it could happen. Both of those guys were definitely top 10 in the league by the time they finished their 3rd season.

re: SBNation Predicts Top 100 NBA Players in 2017Posted by ShamelessPel on 8/19/13 at 4:48 pm to corndeaux

quote:Pelicans Players:

67. Ryno 48. Evans 47. Gordon 23. Holiday 7. Davis

5 in the top 67? I'll take this list coming true, although I think that EG's rankings are still hampered by his injury history. Healthy EG = top 20-25ish in the Holiday range. EG we've seen = outside the list.

re: SBNation Predicts Top 100 NBA Players in 2017Posted by MrBlue105 on 8/19/13 at 5:21 pm to LSU Piston

Hey, i respect his defensive potential and I dearly wish the pels could have gotten him to enforce the paint.

He played in 60 games totally, playing 20mpg. His great fg percentage of 61% led to an inflated PER. He has great mobility and elite size, he's an outstanding rebounder in limited minutes, however he won't be getting guarded by Kris humphries and similar PFs in the future.

There are just so many hurdles he needs to pass to get to that point of being a top 3 player in the entire nba. To list some concerns: The guy shot 37% from the free throw line. I don't think he has the endurance to produce the way he did this year for 36 mpg, something he'd need to do to be a top 3 player. He seems injury prone. His offense is reminiscent of Deandre Jordan's offense. Is he going to be a primary lob receiver or someone you can throw the ball to in clutch time? His offense is more reminiscent of deandre's from what i've seen. He can't move on the perimeter and he's not as fast or quick as dwight howard. Does he have the work ethic and attitude to improve his team and fulfill his potential completely?

At 23, he's going to be better than all the other centers, PFs, SGs, and PGs in the league? Totally unbelievable. These writers need to watch games instead of looking at stats.

But he has no skill at all. His FT stroke looks nice but so did Ben Wallace. He has no touch at all. No post moves. He's even more raw than Dwight Howard in that regard coming out. Doesn't mean he can't be great.

But better than Davis? Davis isn't as big, isn't as strong, isn't as explosive, maybe not even as quick. But he's almost there in all those regards except size. And he has all the skills Drummond lacks.

Davis can truly make things happen in his future without any weaknesses in his game that beyond the physical which he will learn to overcome anyway.

quote:Why? Most NBA 'analysts' will say that Davis is more likely to reach his potential, but Drummond's potential is likely higher.

You had me up until this point. Give me a Duncan (no-brainer)/Garnett (more debatable) in their prime over Howard2.0 any day of the week. People are sleeping on Davis after 1 year and I'm not exactly sure why.

quote:You had me up until this point. Give me a Duncan (no-brainer)/Garnett (more debatable) in their prime over Howard2.0 any day of the week. People are sleeping on Davis after 1 year and I'm not exactly sure why.

I don't hear anyone 'sleeping' on Davis. He's gonna be a great player.

quote:Why? Most NBA 'analysts' will say that Davis is more likely to reach his potential, but Drummond's potential is likely higher.

As I said, I'm not the only one that has at least suggested the possibility of this.

quote:5. Down the road, who will be the best player of the 2012 rookie class?

Out of 5 bloggers/analysts, 4 votes for A. Davis, 1 for Drummond

quote:Nowell: Andre Drummond. I think Anthony Davis has a higher chance of being better, but if Drummond can work out his free throw woes, his talent is generational. As gifted as Davis is athletically, Drummond is stronger and a shade more instinctual around the rim. It's a risky prediction, but I believe in the young Piston.

An example of a vote for Davis.

quote:Winter: Anthony Davis. Drummond tempts here, as his sheer size and athleticism already make him a force. But his frightening free throw stroke might hold him back. As awesomely versatile as Davis will become on both ends of the floor, that looms large. They'll battle for paint supremacy for years to come, but right now Davis seems the safer bet for superstardom.

And another

quote:Gordon: Anthony Davis. The crazy thing is that what we've seen -- an omnipresent rubber man who can get to the rim at a moment's notice -- is the floor of what we might expect from Davis. Next year will bring bigger minutes and a better understanding of the league, and Davis should have an even bigger impact with a slowly congealing Hornets (and now Pelicans) team.